The Tampa Tellin, Tampaella tampaensis (Conrad, 1866), is a small (up to an inch in length) local member of the diverse bivalve family Tellinidae, the Tellin Clams. Its shell is thin, strong, slightly inflated and roughly elliptical. The shell surface is smooth, except for fine, irregular growth lines that are more visible near the shell margins. The color is opaque-white, rarely pink. The Tampa Tellin is one of those species that is more comfortable living in the back bay areas of Southwest Florida, where it burrows deep in the sandy-muddy bottom.
The Tampa Tellin, Tampaella tampaensis, from Roosevelt Channel, Captiva Island. Photo by José H. Leal.